Minolta CLE question, fixing?

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Peter Lombardi
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Hey there, I'm looking at a CLE and the guy selling it says that it "will need to be adjusted for automatic function."

I'm curious, as I don’t know these cameras, and have never had to adjust a non-mechanical camera. Is this possible? It worries me but the price is right. Anyone know if it is feasible? or is this camera junk?

Thanks a lot,
-peter
 
what does that mean?

i don't know.
a simple adjustment might cost a few bucks but anything complicated might be the cost of the camera again.
and parts are harder to find for a 30 (?) year old electronic camera.

joe
 
I'd be really careful, Peter. I've owned a CLE for many years and can't think of anything that needs to be adjusted for "automatic function". I'd try to pin him down as to exactly what he means. If you can handle the camera, just put the shutter speed dial on "A", rest your finger on the shutter release. You should get a speed reading with no pressure. Don't worry if the shutter firing sounds slower than the speed reading you got. They aren't accurate without film in the camera.
 
Yeah, I didn't know either. haha.

It's actually an Ebay thing so sadly I cant put my hands on it. I haven't been able to find one around anywhere other than on ebay.

I couldn't think of anything that would need to be adjusting with an auto setting myself.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the reply,
-peter
 
The shutter is electronically controlled... the meter functions only on Auto. If the shutter won't work properly on Auto it very likely also won't work on manual. The only innocent "adjustment" would be putting in a new pair of SR44 batteries. If the camera has good batteries, and the viewfinder's shutter speed diodes flicker up and down, or stick at the top when a reasonable exposure would have it reading somehere in the middle, or otherwise act crazy, the fix could be as simple as giving the shutter speed dial a few rotations back and forth, spin it a bit.

The electrical contacts under that shutter dial have a tendency to get dirty over time. I have not tried to disassemble and clean one myself, but I think it's not a hard job for a tech with the right tools.

But it might be junk, too. As suggested, some clarification on that "adjustment" the seller mentions would be useful. Also useful would be a money-back agreement if a tech pronounces it unrepairable.
 
Hi,

I've had two CLE's. They are very nice camera's but nowadays I'd stay away from them.
They are not so rugged as a Leica and there are no spare parts available.
If it fails or not proper working at this moment it can easily be a pile of junk.
If it works it will serve you very well. But, no metering in manual mode.

Cheers,

Michiel Fokkema
 
I see the questions were answered, and it's sounding better. Very odd though that a digital readout would be one stop off as he says. Maybe just a cleaning and calibration... And the gamble is up to $232.45 thanks to a very enthusiastic newby bidder with zero feedback; he put in 14 of the 17 bids! Probably "feeling" for how much Hartley had bid, and so I'll bet the newby's current bid is no more than about $20 higher than Hartley's; i.e. around $250 or so.

Edit: I got my CLE new in 1982 and it's still my fav 35mm RF. Everyone's preferences differ I'm sure, but the lack of metering on manual has never been a drawback for me. I use AE virtually all the time. On manual, I can check first what the AE diodes tell me and go from there. For that matter if I'm going to get picky about metering, I'll use a hand-held incident meter anyway.
 
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Yeah, that sucked, I'm the winner by the way, I would have waited to bid till later, but I had to because I was off to class! Oh well, I got his parts camera as well. I had to sit through a movie in class; I was antsy the entire time, squirming around, the person behind me must have thought I had some sort of issue! haha

WEE!!!! My first range finder since I was in elementary school, I just found out today that my dad had given me and my brothers several RF's when we were youngin's to play with and shoot with. Both of my parents were heavily into photography in their younger years, and both still love it and practice it as a hobby. Their very proud of their oldest sons choice of professions! haha.

I have a Sekonic L-608 spot and bulb meter and a cheap little Tundra meter anyway.

Now is the part, well parts, I hate about ebay, paying, and waiting for it to come to see what you really got! hahaha

Anybody know of a good painter/camera restorer? I am thinking about getting the parts body painted and cleaned up and then swapping internals.

Also anyone know of anybody trying to get rid of either a 40 or 28mm lens?

Thanks again guys!!!
-peter
 
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One more quick question, how bad is the white spot thing, I mean can it be fixed, or should I just steer clear. I understand optics and that it will effect most likely contrast and clarity, but...?

The guy has a 28 Rokkor that he offered me when I asked him if he had any lenses. No price yet, but I'm going to inquire.
-peter
 
PhotoGeek said:
Yeah, I didn't know either. haha.

It's actually an Ebay thing so sadly I cant put my hands on it. I haven't been able to find one around anywhere other than on ebay.

I couldn't think of anything that would need to be adjusting with an auto setting myself.

Thanks guys, I appreciate the reply,
-peter
Click to expand...

Danger, Will Robinson, Danger. The camera could suffer additional damage in transit and the seller may claim not to be responsible.

I am selling some swamp land in Florida and have a deed that would look good with your name on it.
 
PhotoGeek said:
One more quick question, how bad is the white spot thing, I mean can it be fixed, or should I just steer clear. I understand optics and that it will effect most likely contrast and clarity, but...?

The guy has a 28 Rokkor that he offered me when I asked him if he had any lenses. No price yet, but I'm going to inquire.
-peter
Click to expand...

Get another 28, too many possible issues with the Rokkor M.
 
Congratulations! Didn't know you were the high bidder. AND you got the parts camera, a reasonable move I think. Combined shipping costs, one payment, one shipment to sweat over, and spare parts for a 20+ year old camera seems useful. I've had several cameras refurbished by my local camera repair guy in Yakima. He knows I care about this old stuff, and willing to pay a tab higher than its "value", otherwise he'd decline the job. He did some pretty serious work, involving parts donor cameras, on a corroded Pentax MX and flakey Olympus Pen FT both eBay "mistakes". Too bad he's closed up shop and moved east.

You might check with Phototronics on Dexter and Camera-Techs on Market St in Ballard...

I have a little-used black 3.5/28mm Skopar that has been surplussed by a 28 'cron. Let me know that's of interest. 🙂
 
Hey Les, as long as it has man eating aligators I'm GAME! haha

Thanks guys, and Doug, I'll PM you, Thanks for the contacts (and the congrats!), I'll look into them.
-peter
 
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Congratulations. Peter. The CLE has been my favorite camera for the 12 years that I've owned it. On Auto mode it has never given me a poorly exposed slide. I've messed up in manual mode bu the camera is better than I am at exposure. My CLE and my mamiya 6 always read a stop apart and both gave me good slides. I guess it's like having two mechanical watches. You're never sure of the exact time.

I can't hel[ with the white spot problem. My 28 never developed them.
 
Hi Peter,
Enjoy your CLE's! Sometimes the AE mode can go a little haywire and it just needs a little cleaning to clear it up (but try what Dougg says first). Try the Voigtlander 28mm instead of the Rokkor 28, some had white spotting issues. Do a search here for Minolta CLE and check out www.cameraquest.com also. DAG will service these too, but parts are extremely scarce if it needs something more than a good cleaning.
 
SO!

I got the camera and the 40mm lens in the mail on Saturday, came home at around 9pm and it was sitting on the front porch, haha.

Started fiddling with it, after I got back to the hotel room my parents were staying in, they came down to visit me for a little bit while I was on break. Found out rather quickly that the camera really did need work, but nothing I couldn't handle.

List of problems...
1. Back wouldn't open
2. Shot number advance wouldn't advance
3. Shot advance was stuck
4. Finder lines wouldn't come up w/ the 40mm lens


That's about it for now. So as I started taking it apart to fix it on Sunday, I just kept on finding the problems out one by one.

Started by trying to fix the back, lets just say I'm happy I got the parts camera, because it actually turned out that the seller had tried to do something or another to this camera at one time and had it apart. Parts from the "repair" camera were in with the "parts" camera. haha. I just kind of had to fix one thing, then find the next, fix that, so on and so forth. It was actually kind of fun.

So I figured it all out and now I have a perfectly working CLE (and a parts CLE) w/ 2 lenses (28/3.5 Voightlander and a 40/2 Leica), all for about 950 bucks. 😀 Pretty happy with myself, haha.

And I just picked up my 28mm from the front porch! 🙂

Thanks again for all of the advice, help, and lenses, haha. Can't wait to get some film through it to see what it looks like.

Later,
-peter
 
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